Audiology
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- 1-800-777-8442
If an illness, injury, or aging harms any part of your ear, you may develop hearing or balance problems—or both. These problems, which can affect people of all ages, include:
- Dizziness
- Gradual or sudden hearing loss in one or both ears
- Ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
- Vertigo
Often, the first step toward improved hearing or balance is an evaluation by an audiologist.
University of Iowa Health Care audiologists specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and managing a wide range of hearing and balance disorders. We also work with people of all ages and abilities, from infancy through adulthood.
Advanced expertise, right here in Iowa
Whether your baby needs further evaluation after failing their newborn hearing screening, or you have sudden, unexplained dizziness, our audiologists can help.
We see people with a wide range of symptoms and conditions, including:
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Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
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Balance disorders such as labyrinthitis and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
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Congenital (present at birth) hearing loss
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Hearing loss caused by genetic conditions that occur in families, such as neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)
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Medical conditions that can cause hearing or balance problems, such as acoustic neuroma
Because our audiologists and otolaryngologists use the latest hearing and balance tests, you can feel confident in your diagnosis. We can also refer you for a hearing aid evaluation, vestibular therapy, or any other treatment you might need.
A tailored, team approach
As an academic medical center, UI Health Care is home to a large team of medical and surgical specialists—many of whom care for people with common and complex hearing and balance disorders.
Our team includes:
Audiologists who specialize in hearing aids. We can help you choose the right hearing aid or assistive listening device based on your type and severity of hearing loss, as well as your cosmetic preferences and budget.
Otologists and neurotologists who specialize in middle and inner ear disorders such as cholesteatoma and Meniere’s disease, and who also perform cochlear implant surgery.
Pediatric craniofacial surgeons who treat children with cleft palate and other craniofacial conditions that can cause pediatric hearing loss.
Speech-language therapists who treat children whose hearing loss has led to speech and language delays.
Vestibular therapists who specialize in rehabilitation for dizziness, vertigo, and other balance disorders.
Audiology tests and treatments
- Acoustic reflex assessment
- Audiometry
- Auditory brainstem response test
- Balance and dizziness evaluation
- Cochlear implant
- Hearing aids
- Infant hearing screening
- Intraoperative monitoring
- Otoacoustic emissions test
- Rotary chair test
- Tympanometry
- Vestibular therapy
- Videonystagmography
Audiology conditions treated
- Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
- Balance disorders
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Cholesteatoma
- Chronic ear infection
- Chronic exposure to loud noise
- Cleft palate
- Conductive hearing loss
- Dizziness
- Earwax buildup
- Head injuries
- Hearing loss
- Labyrinthitis
- Meniere’s disease
- Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)
- Otosclerosis
- Presbycusis
- Ruptured eardrum
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Speech and language delays in children
- Sudden hearing loss
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo
Patient Stories
